# Juhani Pikkarainen

Juhani Elias Pikkarainen (born 30 July 1998) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Allsvenskan club Degerfors and the Finland national team.

## Club career

Pikkarainen started playing in Turun Palloseura (TPS), before he signed with RB Salzburg youth academy in 2015.
Pikkarainen spent three years in Austria, before he returned to Finland and signed with newly promoted Veikkausliiga club Kokkolan Palloveikot (KPV) on 11 December 2018 until 2019, with an option to extend the deal until 2020. KPV were relegated back, and he then returned to his former club TPS for the 2020 season, signing a deal until the end of 2021.
On 17 November 2021, he signed a contract with Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) for the 2022 season. On 9 September 2022, his contract with VPS was extended for the 2023 season. Pikkarainen helped VPS to finish 3rd in the league and qualify for the UEFA Conference League qualifiers. He was named in the league's Team of the Season in 2023.
On 6 November 2023, it was announced that Pikkarainen had signed with Veikkausliiga club Ilves on a two-year deal, starting in 2024. He helped Ilves to finish as the runners-up in the league. Pikkarainen was named in the Veikkausliiga Team of the Season again in 2024.
On 5 January 2025, Pikkarainen signed with Allsvenskan club Degerfors IF until the end of 2027 for an undisclosed fee. Per the reports in media, the fee was in the region of €200,000–300,000.

## International career

Pikkarainen is a former youth international for Finland.
On 2 October 2024, Pikkarainen received his first call-up to the Finland senior national team by the head coach Markku Kanerva, for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B matches against Ireland and England. He made his debut on 17 November 2024 in a Nations League game against Greece at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. He started the game and played 67 minutes, as Greece won 2–0.

## Personal life

His father Tommi Pikkarainen is a Finnish football manager and a former player.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of 19 October 2024.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Liefering | 2016–17 | Austrian 2. Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Liefering | 2017–18 | Austrian 2. Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Liefering | Total | Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Anif (loan) | 2016–17 | Austrian Regionalliga West | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 24 | 1 |
| Blau-Weiß Linz (loan) | 2017–18 | Austrian 2. Liga | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 11 | 0 |
| Wacker Innsbruck II | 2018–19 | Austrian 2. Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| KPV Akatemia | 2019 | Kolmonen | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 0 |
| KPV | 2019 | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 22 | 0 |
| TPS | 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 1 |
| TPS | 2021 | Ykkönen | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 0 |
| TPS | Total | Total | 34 | 1 | 9 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 43 | 1 |
| VPS | 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 3 |
| VPS | 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 27 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 32 | 2 |
| VPS | Total | Total | 52 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 63 | 5 |
| Ilves | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Degerfors | 2025 | Allsvenskan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 165 | 4 | 24 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 203 | 7 |
* ↑ Includes Austrian Cup and Suomen Cup
* ↑ Includes Finnish League Cup
* ↑ Includes UEFA Conference League

### International

    As of 17 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Finland | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |

## Honours

VPS
* Veikkausliiga: 2023 3rd place
Ilves
* Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2024
Individual
* Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2023, 2024
* Veikkausliiga Defender of the Year: 2024